One of the mascots of the Sochi Olympic Games blows out the flame during the closing ceremony

Barbara Walton / EPA / Landov

The massive, sort-of-lifelike creatures were wheeled back into Fisht Olympic Stadium and spent some time wheeling around the floor and looking back and forth before Bear sidled up to the Olympic torch, and – with a Superman-esque gust of super-breath – blew out the flame.

Then the giant bear shed a single tear.

The mascots were such a big part of the closing ceremony that we find it all but impossible to believe that NBC would cut them out of its broadcast Sunday night, but even if they do, we have the pictures to prove they were there, they were magnificent – and a little unsettling.